


In All The Realms

by retrinazambrano



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Black Mirror Inspired, F/M, Hang the DJ
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-03-09 16:51:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13485723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/retrinazambrano/pseuds/retrinazambrano
Summary: Inspired by Black Mirror's Hang the DJ. The Misthaven Experience is an immersive world where all relationships have an expiry date. Each and every relationship leads the participants to the coveted 'one.' Robin Locksley and Regina Mills are paired only for the evening, but it's the start of something unforgettable.





	1. The Misthaven Experience

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really excited to finally post this, as well as nervous! I've taken a few liberties with the story and added a couple of my own twists, turns and backstories. Thank you to Shay and Lindsay for reading this over. Enjoy!

_ Beep. _

It’s a comfortable day in Misthaven; the temperature is just right, perfectly complemented by an occasional breeze. The landscapes are perfectly sculpted, with clear lakes and greenery, with forests so picturesque it’s almost straight out of a brochure. For his first week here, it has been… well, perfect, and the only thing missing from Robin’s current existence is someone to share all this with.

After all, it’s what he’s here for.

He digs into his jacket to retrieve the device that, essentially, controls his love life. Also called Misthaven, but known colloquially as ‘coach’, its existence is purely to guide those within the system. A system which guarantees its users the perfect spouse and a chance at true love and a happy ending.

“Coach?” he calls into the device, stopping to sit on a bench to gather his thoughts.

_Robin, you have a match. Meet at_ Gold’s _at 7pm._

He grins. His first match. “Can you tell me anything about her?” he asks, excited, expectant.

_No, I am disallowed to reveal the identity of your match. Please be at_ Gold’s _for 7pm._

_ That leaves me with little to work with _ , he thinks with an internal sigh.  _ The blue suit will have to do. _

* * *

Regina’s a beautiful woman. She knows that, repeats it to herself as she stares at her reflection in the mirror, but what good is physical beauty when you can’t find  _ the one _ ? In the real world, she knows that she’s got no end of suitors, but, after her last relationship, she’s tired of just testing the waters over and over. She wants certainty.

She wants true love. And the Misthaven Experience seems to be the best way she can find it. 

Tonight, she’s taking that first step towards true love. For once, it’s within her grasp and she’s not letting it out of her sight.

* * *

Gold’s by name, Gold’s by nature. It’s a decadently decorated establishment, chandeliers hanging over every booth, the lighting offering the perfect ambiance to encourage a flourishing relationship. Regina, in her excitement, arrives fifteen minutes early and, as the waiter shows her to her booth, she simmers with nervous energy. Instead of staring meaninglessly at the empty seat opposite her, she fiddles with a loose strand on her purse, starting to tug on it, when she hears a greeting.

“Hello, milady.” Regina looks up to meet the gaze of her temporary lover. His eyes are captivating and it’s just as well she’s sitting down, for that, along with his accent, has her heart stuttering. 

It takes a second, but Regina shakes her head, clears her throat and stands, thrusting her hand out to greet her date.

“Milady? That’s a little formal, isn’t it?” she quips as they shake, a smile spreading across her face, one which he, thankfully, returns.

“Perhaps, but I don’t know your name, so…” he trails off and she nods, amused.

“Mmm. Well, as long as you don’t expect me to refer to you as milord, I think we’re good.” The two stand there looking at one another before realising that they probably should sit. “Unless you’d like to stand for the whole of the meal, but I don’t think that’s going to be particularly comfortable.”

Robin holds his hand out, indicating for Regina to sit as he does. “First time?” he asks and Regina nods. “Me too. I sort of don’t know what to expect.”

“Mmm. Except the obvious,” she points out. “We have nothing left to lose, right?”

“Right.” Robin looks her up and down, yet Regina finds his gaze appreciative, rather than lecherous. “You look stunning, if I may say so myself.”

“You may,” she smirks. “You clean up pretty well yourself, my dear. Blue really is your colour.” It really brings out his eyes and  _ damn _ , are they mesmerising. 

“And black is yours,” Robin returns. This suit is a crowd-pleaser. 

“Ah, well I’ve always said that,” the brunette darts back.

Robin hums then, his eyes darting around the table, yet he can’t find what he’s looking for. “No menu?”

“Oh, I hadn’t realised,” she replies, looking at the other booths, but when her dinner is served at that moment - a chili salmon steak with wild rice and a side salad, alongside an aged bottle of pinot noir, she realises what’s just happened. “Ah, I see it’s not only our relationships that are decided for us,” Regina muses as Robin’s dish is also placed in front of him. “Not a clove of garlic in sight, though I think I’d of preferred a big, juicy cheeseburger.” Robin’s brows shoot up into his hairline at that. “What, didn’t think a woman like I would have a penchant for burgers?” She throws him a sly grin. “Oh, you have much to learn.” She likes this man already; he’s handsome, British (a plus to her), plus he seems… honest. She doesn’t know what gives her that impression, but it’s something her gut just won’t shake. 

“To be honest, no. You don’t look like a burger queen, though now you say it, I think the title does suit you.” They both laugh at that and Robin finds he really likes her laugh. She is beautiful, no doubt about it, but her laugh is so infectious. 

“Just as well I like chicken tagine, isn’t it?” he laughs and he’s about to pick up his fork when Regina reaches over the table, placing her hand over his.

“Wait, before we start…” She pulls her hand back and digs into her purse, pulling out her Coach. “I believe we have to both look at this.” She turns the gadget in her hand as Robin retrieves his from his jacket.

He looks at the device’s interface, which states that both parties must be in range and must have their fingerprints scanned at the same time in order to reveal an accurate reading. He goes to press his thumb to the screen, but he pauses.

“Wait,” he says, Regina freezing in place. “Don’t you think we should know one another’s names before we find out the expiry date on our relationship? Isn’t that how most relationships normally start?”

The brunette laughs again, her shoulders shaking as her head does and Robin’s captivated. “Well, this is hardly  _ most  _ relationships, is it? We don’t live our lives by the seconds in the real world. Normally,” she winks. “Besides, wouldn’t it be fun to do this all kind of…” she waves her hands in the air as she searches for the right word, “... anonymously?” Although he doesn’t say anything, Robin’s face says it all - he’s not in agreement. “Oh, fine then,” she grins. “What’s your name?”

“Robin Locksley.” Regina nods and repeats his name. “Like what you hear?”

She hums in affirmation. “Rolls nicely off the tongue.” Her teeth sink into her bottom lip and God, she’s ramped up the flirting tonight. “Regina Mills.”

Robin slaps his hand down on the table with a guffaw, yet Regina doesn’t even flinch. “Regina Mills.  _ Regina _ . The reigning queen! Now, isn’t that apt! Seeing as you’re the Burger Queen…”

“You’ll find it’s even more relevant when I don’t get my way,” she jokes, enjoying this encounter more and more by the second. “Talking of which, the timer?”

“Ah yes, I would have forgotten,” he says and after a short countdown, they both press their thumbs to the screen, watching as the machine calibrates.

_ Twelve hours. _

Robin’s face immediately drops to a frown, an expression mirrored by Regina. “Twelve hours? Is that all?” he asks, staring at the device as if it would magically change, except all it does is start to tick down. Fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven… “How do you get to know someone in twelve hours?”

Regina picks up her fork. “A lot of fast talking, fast eating and pure listening. Eat up, Locksley. We’ve got some acquainting to do.”

* * *

Robin remembers from the induction what happens next; the couple is transported to a comfortable residential area within the compound, where they will live together for the duration of their relationship. In this case, very short relationship. Other than that, all other actions are their own.

It’s she that has been entrusted with the keys to their new home, but it’s pretty dark, save for the moonlight and dimmed sconce next to the front door. She rattles with the chain, cursing gently as she struggles to find the right one, but it’s Robin who takes the set from her, nimble fingers expertly locating the correct key and pushing the door open for the two of them.

As they wander in, the lights flick on, the fireplace roars to life and soft romantic melodies play quietly in the distance. It’s all too…

“Perfect,” Regina breathes, familiarising herself with her new surroundings. “Very tasteful. Perfect temperature.” 

As Regina wanders the apartment, inspecting the amenities, Robin waits until she’s out of earshot to whip Coach out from his pocket. He knows he has free will, but it’s that free will that has him internally panicking.

“Coach. Coach, what do I do?”

_ There are no mandatory actions for you. _

“But what happens next?” he whispers, almost frantically. “Do we have to have sex?”

_ You are free to do as you wish within the allotted time. _

Great. Robin checks the timer again - nine hours - and takes a deep breath. He’s been out of the dating game for far too long, so he decides to just go with the natural flow of the evening. Whatever that is. 

Regina inspects the apartment, ending with the bedroom which, lo and behold, only has one bed. “Oh.” Robin hears Regina’s exclamation from above, so he climbs the stairs to join her.

“What’s…” Robin enters the room, realising exactly what she’s referring to - there’s only one bed. Large, certainly big enough for the both of them, but they’ve only just met. It seems a little forward to suggest they sleep together. “Oh. Well, it’s okay, you take the bed and I’ll take the sofa.”

“No!” Regina protests, shaking her head. “It’s big enough for the both of us!”

Ever the altruist, Robin insists. “The sofa looks very, very comfortable!” He heads to it, folding his limbs up and onto the cushions. “See,” he grits out, knowing full well that this is ridiculously uncomfortable already and barely habitable for an hour, let alone a night, “Comfortable!”

Regina rolls her eyes goodnaturedly. “Come on Locksley, get ready for bed.”

* * *

Regina stares herself down in the mirror again. She’s in a comfortable, pretty modest seafoam silk nightie that would entice most men into her grasp, but that’s not what she’s going for here. Coach sits on the sink, reminding her, as she washes her face, that they have eight hours left together, of which most of them will involve sleep. It’s now that she’s wanting to cheat the system, to either jump the city limits or stop time altogether, because this  _ feels _ right, no matter the limited time. However, no-one knows what lies behind that wall and, according to the horror stories she has heard whispered between others in the system, she’s much better off staying here and letting technology run its course.

Robin sits on the bed in his boxers, staring at Coach, saying nothing, watching the seconds tick away. He really likes this woman, although they don’t know a great deal about one another and, at any other time, any other place, in any other realm, they’d likely have time to unpick one another, piece by piece, grow to appreciate one another and see where time really takes them. He shakes his head, placing Coach securely on the bedside table as he lies back, staring at the ceiling, his fingers linked across his belly. He closes his eyes, yet it’s barely a minute before Regina’s back in the room.

“Eight hours,” Regina states plainly, placing her Coach like Robin’s before climbing under the blankets. “Is there any point in even getting to know one another?” She sighs sadly, putting a hand to her head; maybe knowing less will make this separation a little easier to take. “Is it always like this?”

“I hope not,” he replies. “It seems like so much to fit into a short time.”

“I honestly don’t think it’s going to be a sequence of twelve-hour relationships,” Regina muses, pushing a tuft of hair from her face. “That's too much like speed dating. I’m hoping for the best.”

It’s silent then and just like what Robin is used to, he finds, but he’s determined to break through the wall of negativity Regina is starting to build up around herself that he speaks. “What made you try Misthaven?” 

Regina turns onto her side and props her head up on her elbow. “Daniel,” she says simply.

“Daniel?” Robin replies inquisitively, turning to mirror Regina’s position.

She hums. “The love of my life,” she whispers. “I found him in bed with my best friend. After years of relationships that just kept failing… I met him and I thought that would be it, that I’d marry him and live happily ever after.” She scoffs at herself, at her naïveté. “Real life is not a fairytale.”

“That it isn’t,” Robin agrees. “Being here, what have we got to lose? My Marian died suddenly,” he tells her, expecting the sharp, shocked inhale that she gives. “Hit by a car. I was told she didn’t suffer, that it was very quick. That happened three years ago.”

“I’m sorry, Robin,” she whispers, reaching for his arm, squeezing the bicep. “That’s terrible.”

“I miss her every day. She had always said that she wanted me to be happy, no matter what, even if, for whatever reason, we could no longer be together. I couldn’t stand the loneliness anymore and indeed, what  _ have _ …”

“... we got to lose,” they say together, Regina nodding in agreement. “Finding the one is so tedious, it’s just so… convenient to be told exactly who we’re meant to be with. I just hope it doesn’t take too long.”

“I also hope I don’t meet anyone I really like that makes me regret being in this system,” he responds, glancing at Regina. “Though I've got a feeling I may have already.”

She gives him a close-lipped smile. “Who knows what the system has in store for us after these twelve hours, hmm?” She moves onto her back and stares at the ceiling again. 

They fall quiet then and they're not sure just how long the silence lasts; it could have been minutes, it could have been hours, but they are both aware that the other is awake. Not wanting to disturb the calm between them, Regina shifts her hand ever slightly, her pinky brushing against Robin’s as a test. Neither had realised just how much they had craved human contact, even contact as simple as a brush of the fingers and, overcome by such a revelation, Robin curls his fingers around Regina’s, squeezing them gently.

“Regina?” Robin whispers after a while of simple hand-holding. She hums in response. “Can I hold you?”

Regina’s head turns as she stares at him, his kind, handsome face, the eyes which almost plead with her for comfort and she knows that she needs it too. It might make goodbye hard to take, hard to say, but for now, this is their relationship; they have free will. One night of peaceful sleep will be worth it.

She nods and Robin moves closer, fitting his chest to her back, slipping his arm over her waist. It’s soothing, she finds, to have a warm body against hers after years of casual flings and mistakes in the pursuit of true love.

_ Why _ are they only allowed twelve hours?

* * *

A minute is left on the counter as the two of them wait outside the apartment for their transport. They’d slept well, had cuddled a little when they both awoke, ignoring for a few precious moments, the lack of time hanging over them. Now though, with less than sixty seconds to go, time seems to speed up.

“Robin, thank you for last night,” Regina says, turning to look at him.

“Thank  _ you _ , Regina,” he parrots, reaching for her hand, just as the night before. “Take care of yourself, okay? Maybe we’ll meet again.”

“God, I hope so,” she breathes, stepping forward to embrace him, the counter hitting zero as they hold one another. Though they have no desire to let go, they have to say goodbye and face their next relationship, whenever Misthaven decides that will happen.

Robin makes a conscious effort to not look back as they walk away.

Regina glances over her shoulder at his retreating body, with an unshakeable feeling that this actually is not  _ goodbye _ , but  _ see you soon _ .

The Misthaven Experience is a big place, however, and she’s not entirely sure she’ll be that lucky. 


	2. What Exactly Is Happily Ever After?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been looking forward to Inspired by OQ week, and here is my first entry for day 1, based on a wonderful piece by starscythe, which you can see on my twitter :) although not directly inspired by this piece, this is always the piece I have in mind when I write this fic.
> 
> So, I present you with chapter 2, finally, of In All The Realms. Thank you, Shay and Lindsay, for being awesome betas!

Often, it takes a couple of months, maybe even a year or so to get over the end of a relationship, depending on the seriousness and circumstances that led to the end.

In the Misthaven Experience, however, that is not an option. Robin's barely had two days to himself since his first (and only) date with Regina before he's thrown into a new relationship. He knows the score, he does; it's what he signed up for: a revolving door of women in the search of that elusive  _one_. It's time for him to forget about that first date and focus on his new girlfriend.

He can see her a mile off. She's striking without even trying; masterfully wild flame red hair, offset by an alabaster expanse of chest, a generous (but tasteful) cleavage tapering down to an emerald v-neck dress that compliments the shade atop her head perfectly. He feels that, in the looks department, he's hit the jackpot; first Regina, with all her brooding brunette beauty, now this lady.

The euphoria lasts all of five minutes. Sure, when he approaches and she looks up, he's taken aback by just how stunning her eyes are. They're ice blue and  _piercing_ , like they could cut right through to your very soul and he's very interested in getting to know what lights up those beautiful orbs… until she opens her mouth.

"You're late," she says as she looks back down at her menu. "Fifteen minutes late. That's not acceptable."

Robin's brow furrows in amusement, unsure if she's joking or being truly serious. He chances a chuckle and that has her head darting back up.

"I suppose you find it funny that I have been sitting here like some weird… flying monkey, waiting for you? Do you see me laughing? Huh?"

Well then. Any interest was well and truly doused at that moment, and those eyes were now more frightening, maddening, than enigmatic. He lets out a light breath and apologises for his tardiness, but it does little to abate her attitude. He doubts he'll get a word in edgeways tonight, and he resigns himself to this terrible first date, telling himself that it's not forever and that, because it's going so badly, this can't be more than a few hours.

As if she's reading his mind, Zelena digs out her helper from her purse and holds it in her palm. "No point in delaying the inevitable, huh?" She says and Robin shrugs; he doesn't even know her name but that'll come later. They both press the button that reveals the length of their relationship with held breath, hoping for the best, not entertaining what could be the worst.

* * *

 

It takes a little longer for Regina to get her second match and, as a independent person, it's something she's more than welcomed. She's out running when she gets the notification to be at Gold's at 7pm sharp. After the match with Robin, despite the briefness of their union, she feels some belief in the system of the experience. The night they spent together was the closest she'd felt to anyone in years and it wasn't until he was there with his arms around her, keeping her warm, that she realised she needed to open her heart to love again. If this could be the beginning of that, then it would all be worth it.

Regina, in typical Regina fashion, is ten minutes early. She nervously fidgets with a napkin, twirling a lock of hair around her fingers as her eyes dart around the restaurant for any hint of who her new boyfriend is.

And lord, is she not disappointed. He has the most pleasant face, dotted with sculpted stubble and friendly eyes, a damn sexy accent and arms that make her want to alternately snuggle and jump him.

He introduces himself as Graham as he sits opposite her. His handshake is strong and confident. In fact, he seems a little… smug. He talks about his policing career outside the experience, before diving into some of his likes and dislikes, without even giving Regina a moment to respond with her preferences. She's perplexed as to why she's been matched with such a man when she stated very clearly when she signed up that this sort of man that she found insufferable.

By the time he's actually gotten around to asking her a question, she's switched off, gazing down at the corner of her long finished plate.

"Regina," he repeats. "Hey, Regina." She resolves that at least his voice is nice to listen to. "What do you think?"

"Of what?" She asks, her eyes meeting his. God, he really is attractive.

"Finding out," he replies, holding up his coach, all set and poised to reveal the answer to the question all participants obsessed over.

Regina nods, reaching into her purse to get her coach. Without a second thought, they press the button.

* * *

A true match has been made and all participants are required to attend the wedding ceremony. Neither Regina nor Robin have met the happy couple, but for both, it's a relief to see that the system  _does_  work. They and their respective spouses receive their invitations a week before to give time to prepare.

Zelena, as Robin found out later was her name, is insistent that he picks his suit according to the colour she's wearing. Fine, he acquiesces, he hates clothes shopping as it is and if that's one less thing for him to do, then good. For all her faults, he has to give it to the woman; she is organised and decisive and she has an eye for style which always has her well turned out. There may be little spark between them otherwise, but he knows a good looking woman when he sees one. They have a fraught rapport, they do make each other laugh on occasion, but it's not forever, as the countdown tells him.

Over time, Regina too has grown rather fond of Graham. He's a lot more gentlemanly and a lot less arrogant than she originally thought and she knows that he genuinely cares whether she's alright. Plus the sex is extraordinary. That's not grounds for a lasting relationship, she keeps telling herself, though after she's come for the third time in an evening, she entertains the idea that a fantastic fuck could indeed be enough of a determining factor, a theory debunked by morning.

* * *

The wedding ceremony itself is beautiful, everything from the vows, right down to the teeny tiny snowdrops adorning each seat that have been carefully chosen, either by the powers that be or the bride and groom, it's unclear, but they seem blissfully happy to have tied the knot.

Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan or Snow White and Prince Charming, as the Misthaven Gazette has dubbed them, are quite the pair. Regina thinks they border on sickening, for the puppy dog look they give each other is constant, unrelenting and she can only roll her eyes.

"Some say that if you keep on with that expression, if the wind changes, you'll stay like that."

Regina knows that voice, even though she only got to enjoy it for twelve hours. She smirks and turns to Robin, well turned out in his navy suit. Although she knew he'd be here (everyone is), there were so many people around that she doubted she'd catch sight of him.

"I will always find you," he jokes, quoting the tag line for the whole affair and indeed, whole experience.

Her brow lifts playfully. "One out of one. Beginner's luck," she teases, draining the rest of her glass. "It's hardly a statistic to go by."

Robin chuckles and takes a seat beside her, indicating to the bartender that he'd like a beer. "I could spot you a mile off, Burger Queen. You wear a crown without even  _wearing_  one." Regina's eyes narrow at that. "By that, I mean you're regal, even in stature."

Regina nods, as she  _oh_ s in response. "Seems my mother chose a fitting name then." Their eyes meet again and he's smiling from ear to ear. He's so focused on her that he's not realised his beer's been served, so she nods towards it. "So, who are you here with?"

Robin's eyes scan the room for little more than two seconds before he spots Zelena, giving her all on the dancefloor. He doesn't even have to say anything, for Regina has already clocked her. Hard not to, really; the woman has presence.

"The redhead," she states. "Nice."

He laughs, if only a little bitterly. "Nice to look at, not quite so nice to live with." He shrugs. "Well, as Coach reminds me, it's not forever."

"How long is  _not forever_?"

"A year," he tells her. "Well, about nine months now."

Regina nods as he speaks. "Long enough to have a baby."

He groans, putting his hand over his eyes. "Oh God no, it's not even worth joking about."

Regina pulls back with narrowed eyes. "Oh come on, the woman must have  _some_  redeeming features. Right?" She looks at Robin's blank expression. "Right?"

"Other than her incredible sense of style? I'm waiting to be exposed to her redeeming qualities."

She laughs at that. "Is she really that bad?"

"Yes," he replies, no hint of humour in his tone. "She's the epitome of an ice queen. You know when we first met, she didn't even say hello, she just chasisted me for being late."

"Well, it's not fun sitting in a restaurant by yourself, Robin…"

"Whose side are you on?" He cuts in and Regina can't help but smirk.

"I'm not taking sides, my dear." She takes a sip of her newly refilled glass.

He hums. "What about you? Who did they match you with?"

Regina turns her head and cocks it to the left. "Him." Graham is talking to a couple nearby, his eyes lit up and theirs just the same.

Robin scoffs. For some reason, he's bothered about the union of this man (who even looks too good to be true, even though they've never spoken) with the woman in front of him.

"What?" Regina questions, pushing her hair behind her ear, amusement written all over her features.

"Him?" Robin keeps staring at him. " _Him?_ "

"You got something to say, Locksley? Say it." She's starting to feel a little agitated with his attitude; she and Graham aren't forever either, but he's harmless enough.

Robin meanwhile can't quite explain what's bothering him so much. There's just something he cannot put his finger on, but it's there and he can't ignore it. "Are you happy?"

Now that's a question she wasn't expecting. "Am I happy?" She parrots, taking a deep breath, ready to retort, before she deflates. "I'm in an  _experience_  to find  _the one_ , and you're asking if I'm happy."

Every single person in this place is in the same boat. With the exception of the bride and groom, everyone here has been or is desperate enough to enter into this facility to be matchmade with their perceived  _one_. That's a pretty sad state of affairs and she tells him so.

He can see the emotional fatigue clear on her face and he knows that this particular situation is no good for her. "Come with me."

"What?" She puts her glass down as he takes her hand and tugs on it, pulling them out of sight from the crowd. "Isn't it rude to leave without saying goodbye?"

"We're not leaving," he tells her as he steps down onto the grass by the river. "Simply taking a walk…"

"... or getting some air," she adds as he releases her hand.

"Right." They walk along the river then, in companionable silence. They wordlessly agree upon a perching place, amongst some well placed rocks. "It's beautiful here," Regina comments, looking around and taking in the breathtaking view; the gentle shimmer of moonlight cast upon the river and the gentle hum of crickets and the party beyond them as the sweet summer breeze cloaks their skin.

"Perfect," Robin replies. "Too perfect," he immediately counters and Regina turns her head towards him. "It's straight out of a brochure, or someone's Pinterest, or… I don't know. It's synthetic." He picks up a fallen feather, having fallen by his feet and inspects its vanes, its shape, colour, before resting the quill on Regina's thigh. "I see far more beauty in the  _imperfect_."

The air buzzes as Robin looks up at Regina. "I know this is only the second time we've met, but I can tell that what led you here has changed your outlook on life." He couldn't be more right. "I know, because it's the same for me."

Regina parts her lips to speak, but finds the words won't come. She shakes her head; she doesn't want to think about, doesn't want to talk about Daniel. She's here, in this experience, to get away from the mere thought of him. She's going to have to talk about him eventually, but tonight, she doesn't tonight. In a bid to keep those miserable emotions at bay, she turns to Robin, letting their eyes meet.

To hell with their relationships. She leans in and kisses him gently, letting herself take comfort in the softness of his lips, the sheer feeling of familiarity of being with him, even if this is the first time.

Robin responds, enjoying the moment, the fact that she's got everything he's looking for and her lips are pressed to his. Only a few months, and they can dare to hope for a reunion.

Briefly, at least, for Regina pulls back and stares at him, wide-eyed, in shock. She doesn't just kiss people like that; hell, she finds it hard to connect with people a lot of the time. She stands quickly, the feather falling to the ground, as she mutters repeated apologies to Robin.

He attempts to tell her that it's okay, but she's chastising herself now. Phrases like  _I've cheated on Graham_ and  _Oh God, this is the exact opposite of this experience, what if I've gone and ruined it for myself?_

Eventually, Robin reaches for her elbows to stop her, to steady her body and her thoughts. "Regina, take a breath. It was one kiss, okay? These sorts of… misdemeanors happen."

Her brows knit at that. "Oh, and that's meant to make it alright?"

"No," he breathes, "but it was one kiss, as I said, and all our emotions are highly charged tonight, right? Watching Princess Snow and Prince Charming over there finding their happy ending." Regina smirks a little at the names. "It doesn't have to mean anything, nor does it have to signpost the end of your relationship with Graham."

He's not entirely sure he means those words, and Regina isn't sure either, but she nods, taking a much calmer breath. "We still have a couple of months to go."

"So do Zelena and I," he nods. "We knew this could happen when we signed up. Experimental hazard," he tries, and Regina shakes her head with a smile.

"Listen, thank you," she tells him. "You've made tonight… interesting. And I don't mean what happened there, I mean, just talking to you."

"Likewise, Regina. I'll let you go back and enjoy the party," he tells her, letting his hands drop to his sides.

"You not coming back in?" She asks as she steps back.

"Not yet. Gonna get some more air. It's perfect out here, after all." They both laugh as Regina gives him a little wave, finally turning her back and walking back towards the party.

With a deep breath, Robin retrieves his helper from the pocket of his jacket and stares at it. There's been no change, despite the kiss… the counter still stands to expire after a year.

Regina stops midway to the party and digs her helper from her purse. She's relieved when the counter is the same and she's about to put it away again, when it emits a quiet beep. When she looks at the screen again, the counter is speeding up and up.

She and Graham will stop at six months.

Her actions tonight have killed something that may have worked well, even if Graham's not quite the perfect fit for her. Regina turns to look back at Robin then, noticing from the light reflecting from his face that he's had the same idea.

He lifts his head and they stare at one another. What on earth could happen next?


End file.
